1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to flashlight and baton apparatus, and more particularly to a combination flashlight and expandable baton.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Law enforcement and security persons typically carry a flashlight and a baton when on security patrol or when called upon to apprehend a suspect. The flashlight utilized by law enforcement and security persons is typically of metallic construction and in some circumstances may be used as a defensive weapon. The baton is a hand held club-like defensive weapon used to defend against attacks or to disarm or subdue an assailant.
A common type of baton, called a night stick or billy is a rigid elongate wooden club having a hand grip portion at one end and a looped strap which fits over the wrist. Another common baton, known as a "side-handle" baton is a rigid elongate rigid club with a handle extending outwardly perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the club. Because the night stick and side-handle batons are rigid and elongate, they are inconvenient to carry and will often interfere with a person's ability to run a maneuver quickly.
More recently, expandable batons of metallic construction, such as the type manufactured by Armament Systems And Procedures, Inc. (ASP) of Wisconsin, are being used by law inforcement and security persons. The expandable baton, in the retracted position, is compact and easily carried and is easily and quickly deployed to the elongate extended position by a slinging action.
However, with either a rigid or expandable type of baton and a separate flashlight, the carrier is faced with a difficult and dangerous situation when it becomes necessary to utilize the baton. Often, the person will be holding the flashlight in one hand while writing a ticket, opening doors, moving obstacles, etc. If it becomes necessary to quickly utilize a baton, the person must release his grasp on the flashlight or switch hands while reaching for the baton, thus either disarming themself, or typing up both hands and making themself vulnerable during a heated confrontation.
Others have attempted to combine the baton with the flashlight. There are several patents which disclose various flashlight-baton combinations.
Kohn, U.S. Pat. No. 5,016,148 discloses a resilient semi-cylindrical shell which is attached to an elongate flashlight body to absorb shock directed through the flashlight when the flashlight is used as a defensive weapon.
Mains, U.S. Pat. No. 4,479,171 discloses combination side arm baton and flashlight combination comprising an elongate flashlight body having a handle extending outwardly perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the flashlight. The on-off switch is housed in the side handle and the elongate portion of the flashlight is used as the baton. This device, like the "side-handle" baton is elongate, rigid, and bulky, it is inconvenient to carry and will often interfere with the officer's ability to run or maneuver quickly.
Powell, U.S. Pat. No. 2,260,639 discloses a unitary billy-club or night stick having a flashlight unit built into the club housing.
Osaka, U.S. Pat. No. 4,236,544 discloses a walking stick having a transparent or translucent portion and an interior xenon flash tube which produces periodic flashes of high intensity light.
The patents of Kohm, Mains, Powell, and Osaka are rigid unitary devices of fixed length and do not have the desirable features of an expandable baton.
Fan, U.S. Pat. No. 5,041,951 discloses a multipurpose truncheon which can be used as a bar for fighting or a baton for directing traffic. The device has a tubular housing with a hand grip portion, an L-shaped flashlight extension and a finger guard, a rigid cap at the back end of the gripping portion which contains a gas cartridge, and a tubular telescoping electric discharging stick at the front end with a gas nozzle at the outer end. The electric discharge stick portion has a plurality of electric elements (metal strips) along its length. When the stick is extended, the light flashes and the electric elements discharge high voltage and electric sparks. Gas can also be expelled through the nozzle at the end of the stick which also make a shrill sound.
Hamilton, U.S. Pat. No. 4,819,137 discloses a telescoping baton having a flashlight portion at one end. The baton is spring loaded and the hand grip portion has a swivel ring which receives the finger of the user to prevent accidental loss during manipulation and also serves as a key ring. The outer end of the baton has an end cap with a J-slot. In the collapsed condition, the end cap is received on the hand grip portion and to release the baton, the end cap is rotated by the thumb of the user. This device is small to fit in the palm of the hand, or in a pocket or purse.
The present invention is distinguished over the prior art in general, and these patents in particular by a combination flashlight-baton having a head assembly connected at one end of a flashlight barrel which houses a substantially parabolic reflector, a planar lens, a lamp bulb receptacle, and a lamp bulb. A battery source of power is contained within the barrel and a switch on the barrel energizes the lamp bulb. A baton assembly carried in the tail end of the flashlight barrel has telescoping tubular members movable between a retracted position substantially within the barrel and an extended position extending outwardly therefrom. The innermost tubular telescoping member has a small mass at the distal end. With the baton retracted, the combination flashlight-baton can be carried, stored, and used as a conventional flashlight.
To extend the baton, the user holds the flashlight by the handle with the tail end pointing away and sharply snaps the wrist forward in a slinging action and the telescoping members are extended outwardly due to centrifugal force. The telescoping members are maintained in the extended position by frictional engagement and are released by holding the flashlight-baton vertically above a hard surface and bringing it sharply down in the vertical position to strike the distal end of the baton assembly on the hard surface. An adapter fitting or baton housing carrying the baton assembly allows a conventional flashlight to incorporate a baton without modification of the existing flashlight components and may be provided as a conversion kit for existing flashlights.